The present invention relates to a device for preventing a wheel cap from loosening from a rim, whereby the wheel cap is mounted on a ring member which is insertable into the rim and is provided with a plurality of anchoring members of resilient material that are hooked into the ring member and include hook portions adapted to hook into a ring-shaped recess in the rim when the ring member is brought therein, whereby the ring member includes a contact portion adapted to engage an outer rim portion of the rim, and an inwardly directed portion within the contact portion adapted to extend along an inwardly directed rim portion positioned between the outer rim portion and the annular recess of the rim, and whereby each anchoring member includes an outer mounting portion which is insertable into an opening in the ring member, and an inwardly directed portion positioned between the mounting portion and a hook portion and adapted to lie between the inwardly directed portions of the ring member and the rim respectively, when the ring member with the wheel cap is hooked onto the rim via the anchoring members.
Devices of the abovementioned type are already known from DE No. 33 19 229 A1 and these prior art devices retain the wheel cap at the rim with a firm grip as long as the wheel cap and/or the ring member on which the wheel cap is fixed does not bump into any obstruction. However, should the wheel cap and/or the ring member bump into any obstruction, e.g. a road curbstone if the vehicle is driven too close thereto, there is a risk that the wheel cap and/or the ring member will be lifted relative to the rim, whereby the anchoring member(s) located immediately below in the rim will be lifted out of the recess of the ring member. This may result in that the ring member and wheel cap loosen from the rim, which is unacceptable.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate this problem and provide a simple device which effectively prevents the wheel cap and/or the ring member from loosening when these members bump into an obstruction. This is arrived at according to the invention by means of the characterizing features of claim 1.